Two cationic meso-thiophenium porphyrins and their zinc-complexes as anti-HIV-1 and antibacterial agents under non-photodynamic therapy (PDT) conditions.

The anti-HIV-1 and antimicrobial activities of novel cationic meso-thiophenium porphyrins and their zinc-complex are reported under in vitro non-photodynamic (PDT) conditions. While all the cationic porphyrins led to the inhibition of de novo virus infection, the Zn(II)-complexes of T(OH)M (AB-type) and T(OH)M (AB-type) displayed potent inhibition of HIV-1 entry with T(OH)MZn displaying maximal anti-HIV activity. The Zinc complex of both the thiophenium porphyrins T(OH)M and T(OH)M also depicted antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and more prominently against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). Again, the antibacterial activity was more potent for T(OH)MZn. Our study highlighted that the presence of two thiophenium groups at the meso-positions of the AB-type porphyrins along with zinc strongly enhanced anti-HIV and antimicrobial properties of these novel thiophenium porphyrins under non-PDT conditions.